1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to valve tissue repair or reshaping. More specifically, the present invention relates to minimally invasive devices and methods for repair or reshaping of improperly functioning heart valves.
2. Description of Related Art
The human body has a plurality of valves for regulating fluid flow and, due to disease or genetic abnormality, these valves may become dysfunctional over a patient's lifetime. The majority of these valves are located in the heart, but valve structures are also located in the digestive track above the stomach and at other locations. One of the main problems associated with diseased or dysfunctional valves, particularly in the heart, is undesired valve dilation due to weakening of the valve leaflets or valve support structure. This valve leakage is commonly described as valve regurgitation and may be characterized by retrograde flow of fluid through the valve. In the heart, such valve regurgitation may seriously compromise the pumping efficiency of the heart and, if left unchecked, can result in extreme fatigue and the inability of the patient to lead a normal life.
Various surgical techniques have been developed to repair a diseased or damaged valve. These typical treatments for valve regurgitation or other valve repair involve conventional, open surgical techniques. For repair of coronary valves, the chest of the patient is usually opened, at least in part, to allow enough room for the surgeon to perform a repair or replacement of the damaged valve. This usually requires that the patient be placed on a bypass machine to pump the blood while the surgeon operates on the stopped heart muscle. For obvious reasons, this open-type of surgery can be very traumatic on the patient and recovery may take many months. Additionally, surgery may not be an option for some patients due to limited possibility for recovery, concurrent disease, or age.
For these reasons, it would be desirable to provide an alternative to open-type surgery to modify or repair a damaged valve that minimizes the need for the patient's chest to be opened and/or the patient to be placed on bypass during the procedure